The Break of Dawn
by spockjasperlokizukowriting
Summary: Zuko is left with an unknown past to live in the Northern Water Tribe. Plagued with terrifying dreams and a pining desire for the princess, he is forced to deal with a tragic fate that befalls his tribe without knowing his family is the cause of it. Zue. T for later material.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The cry of the baby carried down the street, breaking the silence in the dead of night. The tall, white buildings contained the cry softly, gently, the small whimpers spreading in echoes through the thickly housed city. Nothing stirred. The moon shone overhead, light pooling in the streets.

Slipping quietly and briskly across the frothy snow, a hooded figure moved in the cast shadows, thin arms clutching a bundle of blue cloth closely, white fur shivering in a lazy breeze. Ursa peered from beneath her hood, yellow eyes cutting in the dark. Her lips were pale, tight and frigid. She was not meant for such weather.

The baby cried again, cold and frightened, squirming and wriggling in her arms. She tucked the edge of the cloth back, small, golden eyes peering up at her. "Shh," she begged, eyes tearing. "Shh, your mother's here..." She held her child closer, rocking him gently. "Shhh, I'm here..."

The small, baby boy quieted reluctantly, small fingers twisting the fabric of her cloak in a tight grasp. Ursa smiled down at her son, pale skin glinting in the moonlight. She cradled him with the care of a mother. "There..." she whispered, "safe with me."

He wound his fingers around the fur trimming of the blanket, sparing a contented smile.

Ursa forced her gaze away, picking through the mansions with her jaw clenched. The right house was vital to this. She crept forward, stopping before a solid mansion of ice. Engravings carved stories into the rims of the high walls, and the gates curled and extended towards the heights in the guise of a rich palace. The place loomed almost menacingly, sealed windows lining the outer surface while the front door arched with the smooth construction of a waterbending master.

The baby was silent: asleep. Already peaceful before his new home.

Her heart almost broke. She couldn't do this. She bit down on her lip and sucked in a tight breath. _This was goodbye. It has to be done. _

She knelt before gates, slowly heaving her son from her protective arms. The child only stirred once, eyes moving restlessly behind his lids. He whimpered. She tucked him tightly, trying to insulate heat. He would never find ease in the weather; he was made for the temperate skies of home. His Fire Nation blood longed for heat.

But the ice was his now. No one would find him here. He would grow, unharmed, unknown. She knew of this family. They would know what to do.

Ursa drew a folded letter from her cloak, shaking fingers barely gripping the thin parchment when she set it by his side. She was brittle now, barely in control, exhausted and worried about the consequences of her actions. Her son moved, eyelids fluttering.

She placed her hands over the child's belly, rubbing it gently to soothe him back into a harmless sleep. Body-heat, she knew, would be conserved more efficiently if he slept.

She dipped her head toward the ground in prayer, squeezing her eyes shut to halt the oncoming tears.

"One day, you'll see me again..." she breathed. "It night not be soon—it could be years—but I promise you, my son. One day, we'll meet, and you'll know me as mother..."

She gasped through a tight throat, clutching a quivering hand across her eyes. "Please, my son, forgive me for this,,. These are good people, and they'll do more for your than I ever could." Tears fell, silver droplets splashing on the ice. "Forgive me for not being there for you when you'll need me most. Forgive me for leaving you here. And you may never understand why, but I won't leave you with nothing."

Ursa reached into her cloak and withdrew a crimson ribbon dangling with a gold and silver pendant. "It's a betrothal necklace, for when you come of age." She smiled, broken, imagining the thought of her handsome young boy asking a lady for her love. Shakingly, she rested the pendant across his chest, watching as it glowed with a white hue, the design of two inlaid dragons circling an eclipse glinting. "The letter contains only your name and the date of your birth. Nothing more. You need not know of the horrors you escape."

She opened her eyes and stared at the moon, musing quietly. "You're name means 'sun' in ancient Sun Warrior," she whispered, "the ancestors of our nation. Burn brightly in this life, my son. I'll remember my promise."

Dawdlingly, she stood stepped around her son, and quickly rapped on the gates, voices suddenly sounding from the house in an onslaught of action. Lights flashed on between the cracks in the windows and the city seemed suddenly alive.

The child stirred, still swathed in his blankets. He caught his mother's eye momentarily as he turned to hide part of his face in the supple cloth. But when he blinked to look again, she was gone.

Rather than cry, Zuko gazed towards the stars hidden in a sky of clear glass. The distant ocean clapped against the tall cliffs, deep and heavy in their brushing motions, like a dark heartbeat. The light cast down by the moon pebbled in silver pools across the ice, and the pendant atop his chest gleamed with a painful intensity. For a brief second, the dragons almost seemed alive, writhing in the rock and clawing their way into the air.

Then darkness took him and he fell into a deep stupor.

* * *

The night unraveled when the gates were forced open, servants rushing to get to the pile of blankets they saw lying in the snow. The child was swept into the arms of many and passed from one person to another, swift motions pushing him deeper into his sleep.

Later that night, he lay hidden away in a dark room while the maids watched him and spoke with a worried couple. The tall man spent the night debating with his chief of staff the letter they found and the pendant to go with it, while his wife spent the hours with the baby, rocking him gently in the corner, slowly falling in love with each passing moment.

But the life of the night didn't reach the calmly sleeping Zuko. He was seeing colors behind his eyelids and hearing the soft voice of his long-gone mother. A half smile crept across his face, pulling his small but flawless features into a florescent expression. The boy was secure and left with good intentions. Only fate could marr him now.


	2. Early Morning Sessions

**Early Morning Sessions**

Zuko woke with a start, panting, sweating, numbing air aching in his lungs. _It can't be real. _He straightened into a sitting position, frantically feeling for ruined flesh across his cheek. When his shaking fingers found none, he sobbed in relief, clutching the pendant on his wrist, struggling to keep his cool. _It wasn't real. _He buried his face in his hands, breathing hard.

The bedroom glistened in the moonlight. The hammock swayed as Zuko curled into a ball, burying himself in the furs. His milky cheeks went red at the thought of crying: he hadn't cried in years, and he wouldn't start now. He bit his hand and held his breath, waiting out the thundering of his small heart. He blinked furiously. He remembered all the fire he had seen, all the flesh that burnt, and his jaw locked on the meat of his thumb. The pain crested and he tasted blood, but he only ignored it. Eleven-year-old boys did not cry.

Finally, when he trusted himself not to whimper, he released his hand and buried it against his stomach, a sickening cold settling in. He hated the cold.

"Dreams aren't real," he chanted between chattering teeth. "Dreams aren't real." These words had small comfort. The dreams weren't real, but his cheek still tingled.

He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "Dreams aren't real." With repetition, he told himself, it'd go away.

He turned to the other side and left the fear. When the lull settled in, he gave himself permission to go back under.

_ Dreams aren't real._

* * *

Gray, early morning light streamed in through his window. Hurriedly, he finished the annoying lace of his parka and slipped on the tailored boots. Zuko pulled himself to a stand and sprinted to the door, turning to give his room a quick once-over. Yes, it was in order. The pillows cushioned the furs of his hammock nicely—the servants would leave the saggy form of 'Zuko' sleeping soundly.

He checked the sky. The outline of the moon was low on the horizon, and the city still stood with a hushed, sleepy silence. The pink sun stretched over the cliffs, slowly.

He smiled to himself. _Perfect. _

Minding his steps, he slipped past the fabric of his door and crept down the hall, peering into the open door only a few steps from the stairs.

Inside, two muffled forms lay side by side on an expansive bed. Earth Kingdom spices filled the air and he wrinkled his nose. His father snored softly, and his mother remained buried at his side. The room was dark and shuttered.

He tip-toed past the doorway, leaning to check them one last time before taking off down the stairwell, gloved fingers skimming the frosty railing. The entrance hall loomed, the arching ceiling high above his head. He dashed across green and blue rugs, rounding the fountain before charging towards the kitchens, checking each hall before he crossed it. When he reached the rear entrance down by the servants quarters, he ran into the open, freezing air of the courtyard. His cheeks felt red and he pulled his scarf higher, the wind tearing at his hair. His breath felt deep in his lungs and he grinned. _A clean getaway. _

Zuko fell to his knees down by the garden of ice sculptures, giving the yard a furtive glance before he leaned down and pushed the loose brick of ice back, barely squeezing through the space. With a grunt, he wriggled out to the other side, pushing the brick back in. He frowned as he jogged away. He was getting a little too big for that route.

The empty streets ran down through the capitol. The air was getting warmer by the second. The mansion walls were far behind him, disappearing when he navigated into the back-streets. The snow was fresh and crunched with every step, and he hoped no one would follow the footprints that led away from his home.

Zuko came to the small alcove behind his mother's favorite fabric store, chilled and rubbing his numb hands together. He felt dwarfed amongst the city buildings, the tall wall of the school looming ahead of him. Hesitant, constantly checking for unwanted witnesses, he knelt and dipped his head low, whispering to the wall.

"I'm here. And I'm alone."

There was a beat of silence. Zuko frowned. "Hello?"

Still nothing.

This wasn't the arrangement. Zuko glanced around again, a little worried. "Peti?" he finally whispered. "Peti, it's me. I'm here."

The wall cracked and a jet of steam shot from between the bricks. Zuko started and fell back in shock, breathing hard, eyes wide. The ice melted away, revealing a tall teen with an annoyed frown on his face, hand poised in the air.

Zuko blinked as Peti dusted the snow from his jacket, eyes narrowing. "You're late."

Zuko scrambled to his feet. "No, I came at the break of dawn," he protested. "Like agreed."

Peti rolled his eyes. "You're later than I thought you would be."

Zuko locked his jaw in shame. "Came as quick as I could..." he mumbled.

The taller teen sighed, pinching his brow as he gestured. "Whatever. Let's go. I need to get this lesson out of the way." He watched as Zuko stepped inside, and sealed the gap in the wall with one sweeping motion. "This way."

Zuko followed his companion eagerly, straightening his jacket as he looked around, admiring the carvings in the walls and the statues of various poses. The courtyards stretched long distances, the ground uneven from where water had been drawn in combat. Zuko walked in a pondrous quiet: the school always took his breath away. When he noticed how far ahead Peti had gotten, he picked up his pace.

Peti glanced down and rolled his eyes. "Keep up," he ordered, walking with the proud gait of a northern waterbender. He was older and stronger than Zuko, with a taut jaw and his hair pulled into a wolf's tail, looking rich in his boarding clothes. He was thinly dressed compared to the eleven-year-old, donning a slim parka, belt, pants and furlined boots to protect from the climate, but they were tailored to his slender size. His parents sought eagerly to his care at school.

"Aren't you cold?" Zuko asked, curious.

Peti huffed. "I'll be warm soon enough."

Zuko nodded. "Oh."

"Don't sound so surprised," Peti sighed.

He led them down into a small practice yard, hidden away from prying eyes. With one cursory look, Peti confirmed they weren't being followed and lifted both hands, sealing the yard off with a wall of ice. He turned back to Zuko, brow raised.

"Early morning lessons means we do something beyond rehearsing the motions," he began after a moment, straightening his shoulders. "It means we'll do actual bending, not just drilling, so no one will hear us. This has been our routine for years. I had you come earlier today, because this time it'll be different."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I have a test today," Peti replied, shucking the gloves from his hands. Zuko quickly did the same. "If I pass, I go beyond group classes and instead take private lessons with Master Pakku."

This took Zuko off guard. "Wait, really? Pakku? _The _Pakku?"

"Well, there's just so many Pakku's to choose from," Peti answered mordantly.

Zuko kept his lips sealed.

Peti clarified. "In other words, I become his personal apprentice. Pakku only takes on three every five years, and I'm not the only student competing for a slot."

"Then why are we having a lesson?" Zuko asked with a frown. "You should be training. Preparing for the test."

"Because the test is unique," Peti replied. "Everyone in my level showcases their bending for three minutes before Pakku, and afterwards, he chooses who he fights. If he deems you worthy once you've dueled with him, he'll take you on. There are so many rules and most of it is just tedious tradition, but I need to be ready for anything. He can challenge whoever he wants to a duel, as long as he has seen their bending the day of."

Zuko marveled in silence. After a beat, he asked quietly, "How do you know he'll choose you?"

This took Peti by surprise. "I'm the top of my class. I aim to prove that to him. He'll choose me."

Zuko didn't quite understand, but he nodded anyway. "Okay, so what do we do?"

Peti grinned. "We practice dueling."

Zuko's eyes widened, swallowing the lump in his throat as he rose to the challenge. "Well, that's different."

"Get into your starting pose," Peti commanded. "We duel the traditional way."

Zuko quickly did as he said, fixing his position when the teen gave him a critical look.

Peti rolled his shoulders back, feet waist length apart, smile crooked. "The first move is yours," he said after a moment. "The opponent opposite the challenger always starts."

Zuko hadn't known this was a rule, but obliged anyway, thinking critically for a moment. He drew his hands in, flexing his fingers, taking a deep breath when he felt the heat pit in his gut. With a flourish, sparks gathered between his open palms and a docile flame formed, growing larger, stronger.

Peti eyed him, egging him on. "Is that it?"

Zuko frowned and concentrated, the flames emboldened by the challenge.

Peti rolled his eyes, gesturing towards himself. "Come at me, Zuko!"

Zuko grunted and rotated swiftly, the flame beginning to drip in a wave of glowing, bright energy, incandescent and blinding as it drove forward hard and fast. A swell of pride made Zuko smile until his attack went up in a jet of steam, parting as Peti waved a dismissive hand.

His expression was smug. "'Really, that's it?"

Zuko kicked up more flame, the tingling in his gut growing with each movement. The energy trailed his motions loyally, faltering when he caught glimpse of icicles flying towards his head. The fire evaporated and he ducked.

Peti clicked his tongue. "Tsk, Zuko. I trained you better than this." He bent down and flexed his hands towards the floor, rising and lifting a sheet of ice that melted, splintering into a thousand droplets before pressing together into a stream.

Zuko tried to remember all of the second-hand moves he learned, everything Peti had been taught then taught him out of pity, but all the memories seemed to slip away. Instinct took over. Frayed hair and sweat fell down his forehead as he dodged the teen's slices.

"Fight back, Zuko, fight!"

Zuko decided to evade. He slipped around Peti and shot a fistful of flame at his back, which was easily countered and erupted in a smoke blast that sent Zuko sprawling.

He rolled to his knees, gritting his teeth and panting in frustration.

"Do you yield?" Peti asked, a little disappointed.

"No," Zuko spat, rising and spinning, shooting balls of flame as fast as he could, sending a volley flying with each thrust. Peti dodged and spun, redirecting the steam a simple motion of the wrist.

_No, go down, _Zuko thought angrily, growing tired with each attack. He weathered each move, grimly following each counter of Peti's. Curled spouts rose in a line from the ground, angling towards Zuko then hardening, soaring as towering spears of ice. Peti's signature move.

Zuko leapt and twisted, dancing in the air. Small as he was, he easily ducked between strikes. Waves of heat danced from his hands and the last spear melted before touching him, dissolving.

The heat was getting to his adversary. Peti was already sweating, wiping his forehead aggressively. He grit his teeth, curling his fingers.

The ground opened beneath Zuko and he fell down, tripping and staggering when Peti lanched himself. Snaking whips of water struck the young boy back, falling from the small hole. The wind was knocked from Zuko, burning, empty lungs starving. Zuko clutched ribs, wheezing.

Peti gazed at Zuko for a moment, watching the panting boy, letting the whip fall towards the snow-lathered ground. "The fight's not over until either of us yields," he said haltingly. "Do you yield?"

Zuko quickly pushed himself to his feet, still gasping.

Peti's eyes twinkled. "Always a fighter," he sighed, leaning back to gather a wave from the floor, turning and aiming.

Something seized in Zuko, a sudden fear he couldn't brace, and a surge of heat raced through his hands, fingers jolting forward to meet the crashing wave with a bolt of electric blue lightning. It cut clean through, the air sparking and cracking and with a heavy _boom_ the wave split apart and sent Peti flying, landing against wall with a deep _smack, _one that sent Zuko's stomach into a churning pit of horror.

Peti tumbled to the ground, motionless for a moment.

Stunned, Zuko only stood, unable to do anything as he watched his friend slowly look up, hair falling from the tail it had been gathered into. The boy held his breath while the waterbender grimaced.

Stiffly, Peti pushed himself onto his elbows, then knees, lifting himself against the wall with one hand while the other held his stomach.

Peti's eyes were accusing, Zuko frozen in fear. "What the _hell_ was _that?" _he demanded, still a little shaken. "Since when... How..." His features twisted as he straightened his back, gasping hard through his teeth when his spine popped.

Zuko could only shake his head, arms useless by his sides while his fingers trembled uncontrollably.

Voices began outside the wall. "What was that?" "What's going on?" None of the voices were familiar.

Zuko began to panic, shrinking back away from the walls of ice. "I can't be discovered here!" he whispered to Peti, frightened. "My parents...their reputation... No one but you and them knows!"

Peti nodded, expression transformed, and sprang into action. He waved his hands and the ground upended, flattening with a few jarring motions, the burn marks gone, snow frothed again. Zuko ran to his side when the footsteps on the other side of the wall sounded too close for comfort.

Peti smoothed back his hair, dusting the singed ends of his parka before shucking it from his shoulders, tying it at his waist so to hide the black marks. His bronze skin glinted and he shivered, protectively grabbing Zuko by the shoulder.

The voices were closer now, barely beyond the wall. "Since when was this here?" a husky voice remarked.

"Knock it down—the explosion was on the other side." This voice had authority.

Peti's eyes widened, spinning to face Zuko. "Don't make a noise," he whispered, bringing his hands down and stomping. A hole opened beneath Zuko and he fell, shut in a small chamber of ice. The top covered over with a thin layer of crystalline water. Zuko sat huddled, frightened and claustrophobic before he realized that he was in hiding. He held still, silent as the night, golden eyes wide as the sun.

Steps beat against the snow, the voices muffled. He heard more cracking, the shadow of Peti's figure moving, folding his hands behind his back. The colors were blurred through the icy ceiling, slowly lathering with snow.

Unfamiliar shadows suddenly appeared, blocking the early morning light, moving fluidly. _Waterbenders, _Zuko thought. _Three of them. _

"Peti? What are you doing here?"

"Practicing," the teen answered smoothly. "I find I'm at my best in the morning, when the moon still has some presence in the sky."

"What were those noises?" the commanding voice demanded.

"Sounded like you were fighting an army of firebenders," one sneered jokingly.

"Those noises were the noises of an intense practice session," he explained with a light tone, gesturing around. "I shut myself in so that I wouldn't be disturbed."

"Overachiever," one of the shadows snickered, followed by more muffled laughter.

Peti's hand returned to his side. "What do you want, Koluk?"

"Wanted to know what was so _intense_ about the noises we heard," the tallest of the figures explained, the owner of the authoritative voice. "Were heading down to the sixth courtyard for some early morning practice ourselves when it felt like a small earthquake hit the school." Koluk shifted, and Zuko could hear the grin in his voice. "You should join us. Practice dueling on each other."

"That you will not," interrupted a harsh voice, a cold, calculating voice, and suddenly all of the figures stiffened.

"M-master Pakku," one of the spare teens stammered. Peti remained reserved.

Zuko felt his stomach drop, palms curdling in a cold sweat.

"You all have a test today, and last minute practicing is a waste of your time, and a disgrace to me," the old man scoffed. "You've been training your entire lives for this—your security in your bending should've been set long ago. Now, you all have traditions to attend to, outfits to don, places to be."

The teens all stood in silence. Zuko hesitantly looked up, seeing the looming shadow of the waterbending elder, the long outline of a bulbous head and proud shoulders. "Go."

Peti and his peers all left, Peti disappearing coolly. Zuko breathed hard, gripped with a strange sense of loneliness as his only friend left him. The figure of Pakku remained only for a lingering moment, before the soft snow crunched underfoot and he followed suit.

Zuko heaved a small sigh of relief after a moment, measuring the silence briefly before deeming it safe. He stood, stretching towards the cap of the chamber a few feet off his head. He reached, stretching on his toes, but his hand barely skimmed the surface, fingers still trembling.

_Well, _he thought dismally. _I could always melt it. _

The walls around him suddenly caved and the ground lurched beneath his feet, shooting upwards until he fell forward in open air, collapsing from the violent movement. He pushed himself onto his elbows, fearfully gazing forwards to see rich boots facing him, not but an arm's length ahead. _Those aren't Peti's. _

He leveled his gaze with Pakku, who stood with his white hair hanging, hands relaxed at his sides, solid, tailored indigos and blues glaring in the morning sunlight, bright and clear. His eyes betrayed nothing.

Pakku took a step back and gestured towards the open doorway, the distant wall of the school melting to form a gap just big enough for Zuko. Only two courtyards were between Zuko and the awakening city.

"There's your way out," he said flatly. "Go before your parents find you missing."

Zuko staggered to his feet, shame colouring his cheeks, knees feeling like jelly. Two boys his own age ran in the distant courtyard, tossing water between them as if it were a ball.

Pakku's gaze hardened, briefly turning to trace the young boy's line of sight. "So it's waterbending you want," he mused quietly, a deep chord pinching in Zuko's chest.

He looked down on the sulking boy. There was no kindness in his voice.

"Leave, firebender."

The name hollowed Zuko's chest as if the wind had been kicked from him again. _He knows._

Zuko couldn't do anything else, so he ran. He broke into a sprint, not caring if the boys running in the courtyard saw him as he darted through the gap in the wall, listening to the _thwop_ of it closing behind him. He took to the streets, embarrassed and scared.

He hated that name. He hated it with all his heart.

Zuko shoved between the crowds in the street and pushed his way in the busying marketplace, where fish was carted around, carvings were sold, and the elite class of the city bartered with the poor. Some gazes caught his, an old woman suspiciously furrowing her brow at his nervous, golden eyes.

He covered his face in shame and quickened his pace, the walls and gateway of his home slipping into view. The street branched away from the markets and docks and transitioned into the houses bordering the palace gates, gulls crying overhead, the ocean in the distance. The city woke faster than he wanted it to. The sun was climbing high now, though the cold air still bit and clawed at his skin.

He ran to the far corner of the house, the one away from the other mansions and walls, closest to the docks. The fisherman boarding their boats never commented as they saw a councilman's boy kicking back a loose brick of ice in the wall, struggling through as if his life depended on it, then pushing the gap closed.

Zuko tore through the courtyard of statues, running past the emerging servants. His favorite cook was already in the kitchen, fetching ingredients and more than puzzled to see his young master sloppily dart between his apprentices.

"Zuko?" he asked, but the boy ignored him. Zuko ran beyond the kitchens and down through the halls dividing studies and servants quarters, past the main library and into the entrance hall, where chambermaids smoothed the rugs and brushed the furniture.

He ran into something hard and bounced back, shaken and stunned. Zuko looked up into the eyes of his father and tried to compose himself, expression guilty and eyes nearly watering. He clutched his shirt for support and looked away. "Dad," he croaked.

The father studied his son for only a moment before softening. "Zuko, what's wrong?" he asked. "Where were you? I sent out Salcha and Kena to look for you."

_I can't tell him. _"Nothing," Zuko lied, shaking his head. "Nothing at all. I went out to explore the yard and watch the sunrise. When I realize how late it was I came running back."

His father raised a brow. "From the yard?"

Zuko held his breath. "Yeah, it's farther than it looks."

If his father didn't buy it, it didn't bother him. "Well, okay, just let someone know next time."

Zuko nodded, still burning at Pakku's words.

"Come," his father gestured, "let's meet your mother for breakfast, then you'll have to change that threadbare, old parka. Your cousin Peti has an important waterbending competition today, and we've been invited to attend."

Zuko blinked. "How do you mean?"

His father smiled as they walked. "It's a series of trials that every young pupil his age goes through in order to become a master. Pakku himself will be there, and so will the chief. Your uncle Noktul and aunt Asiaka invited us personally." He smiled. "It's a great chance to see waterbending up close."

Zuko sucked in a tight breath. He almost felt sick of waterbending. "It could be really fun," he agreed, feeling sheepish when he found his mother waiting for him at the table, glittering eyes sweet and trusting. The sudden safety of his parents made Zuko's throat tight.

His mother smiled up at them, patiently waiting. "Did you tell him about Peti?" she asked politely, grinning at her son as he took a seat at the set table.

"Was just explaining it to him," Zuko's father grinned. "Already excited about it, eh, Zuko?"

The firebender couldn't think of an answer, and instead wanted desperately for one of them to give him a hug and tell him that what he could do was not a crime, nothing to hide. But he knew that wasn't true. And the thought of the greatest waterbender in the world knowing his secret robbed him of his appetite.

Zuko only nodded, kneading his bare hands, pausing in fright for a second before figuring it didn't matter that he'd left his gloves back at the school.

* * *

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor am I in any way affiliated with Bryke. **


	3. Winter Night

**Winter Night**

* * *

His mother brushed into the room, eying her son with a radiant smile. "Oh, Zuko, it's beautiful!"

The boy moved uncomfortably in the new parka, dark sapphires and indigos royal of colour and fit for a councilman's son. The hemming was polar-rabbit and the stark fur tickled his skin. His gloves were too thick, and he felt hot and restrained.

His butlers nodded in agreement, smiling warmly. Zuko reached in and fixed the collar of his shirt, pulling it up to protect his exposed neck. His new boots gripped the floor tightly, gridded soles taut with friction. "The belt's too tight," Zuko whimpered.

"You just had breakfast," his mother laughed, kneeling down and giving his stomach a pat. The pit in Zuko's gut almost worsened at the touch, and he felt he would go green.

"Perhaps the master's too cold, to be shivering like that," one butler noted.

Zuko's mother's eyes flickered. She took both his hands into hers, watching as his fingers trembled. "I'm not cold..." he protested. He grit his teeth, trying to bite past his quivering jaw.

_ Just tell her, _he thought, watching weakly when she pulled another scarf around his small neck._ Start from the beginning. Mother, I've been hiding things from you. Please, listen to me. I can't go back. I don't know how he knows but he does. I was careful, and Peti was too. We tried. He can't know. No one knows. We were hidden...he can't've known... _

Zuko felt too hot to shake, instead feeling slick, icy tendrils slowly easing down his spine. He was already going limp with exhaustion.

His mother rose and beamed. "There, see? A mother knows best."

Zuko's eyes felt wide and he burned, quietly. His throat itched with the words. "Mom..." he managed while the butlers took their leave.

She looked down attentively. "Zuko?"

The boy suddenly felt so small. His palms flared. "Mom, what if... What if someone..."

A maid swept into the room. "Lady Palena, the time!"

His mother glanced through his open window, at the sun, and paled. Her thin hand sought his shoulder and began to lead him. "Spirits," she cursed, and all but dragged him through the door.

Zuko shoved her hand from his shoulder. "Mom, what if—!"

"No, no, not now, Zuko, in the gondola, on the way there," she hurried, taking his hand into hers and pulling him with her down the stairs. It was all Zuko could do not to teeter off balance. His chest felt hollow, like there was a hole where there had once been fire.

Outside the snow fell in gentle wisps, and an ocean breeze had eased in from the south. His father stood waiting at the gates. When he met the firebender's gaze with a grin, Zuko looked towards the ground in shame. _Tell them, _he urged. _Tell them how it happened, like it happened. Be honest. You owe them that. _

The canals weren't far from the main gate, and the station was already filling with people. From the throng he picked through all the faces he was told to recognize at court, and all of them were distant relations, at best. Power was kept in the family. Others were merchants, wealthy rulers of capital enterprises. Zuko bowed his head while his father led them to the gathering. His mother held his hand reassuringly. He had never felt shyer.

"Kanook!" a voice boomed, and Zuko startled. The tall, broad figure of his uncle stepped through the crowd, the thin, bony, stern-looking aunt following him. His uncle and father clasped hands and laughed. "My brother. And Palena! Ah, the little Zuko."

Zuko would've bristled at 'little', but felt no such defiance. His uncle smiled down at him, ruffling his hair. "Eh, you'll make a fine young lad. Show us your muscles."

Zuko only lifted his arm, and his loud uncle laughed. "Ah, those come with time," he chuckled. His aunt remained tight-lipped, eying him closely. She had the stare that made him shrink behind his mother, holding onto her dress with a small fist.

Zuko's father admired his older brother with a gracious beam, turning his gaze courteously to his sister-in-law. "Asiaka," he greeted.

She glanced towards him. "Pleasure."

"Ah, don't mind her," his uncle cut-in. "Just worrying over the son."

"No need to do that," his father assured. "I hear that the boy has grown into quite the young man. Top of his class, it's rumored. I think he's almost guaranteed a final duel."

"He's had it in the bag for a while, that's for sure," his uncle laughed. "We couldn't be more proud! A waterbender in the family! But he's from her side, of course."

He glanced down furtively at Zuko, who continued to hide. His mother gave him an encouraging look, but the boy didn't want to expose himself. She smiled apologetically. "He's been feeling a little shy this morning," she excused.

"Ah, well, he'll grow out of it soon enough," his uncle reassured. "Nothing yet?"

His father answered for him. "Nothing. He's just not a bender."

Wrong. _Firebender. _Pakku's words haunted Zuko all the more, and a sweat broke out on his forehead. Not even Peti's parents knew. He felt all the eyes on him and he just wanted to fall into a hole again and never come back out.

"Well, the city needs more soldiers," his uncle provided with a forgiving smile. "Zuko might just make one yet."

Asiaka narrowed her eyes at Zuko.

Suddenly, Zuko's parents seemed to change. "We best be on our way," his father excused, nodding politely. His uncle nodded and smiled, waving as Zuko was led closer to the docks. His aunt was cold-faced.

Zuko's father spared one glance over his shoulder, muttering under his breath, "Charming woman." He took Zuko easily under the arms and lifted the boy into the gondola. Zuko couldn't help but smile. Peti was nothing like his mother, and for that he was grateful.

"How did they meet, anyway?" Zuko's mother asked, stiffening with her hands out as the gondola rocked. His father seated himself beside Zuko, holding the boy tight across the shoulders. The boat drifted forward, snowflakes still like lilies on the water.

"Arranged marriage," he huffed. "But Noktul had some choice. He wanted a son, and a waterbending son. It was said that the Lady Asiaka was the most beautiful of dames in the whole tribe, with waterbending heritage, and so he chose her."

His grinned. "Little did he know I was to marry the most beautiful woman yet." Zuko's mother blushed, chin sinking close to her furs. The gondola passed slowly beneath a bridge, joining the rows of other boats of councilmen.

Zuko hung his head. "Did you want a waterbending son, dad?" The pit in his stomach grew.

His father's stark blue eyes softened, and he leaned to give him a gentle hug. "I wanted a family that I could love until the end of my days," he replied, tucking Zuko's head beneath his chin.

"But—but what if..." Zuko felt close to crying. "What if I was a nonbender...is that better?"

Zuko's father shared a glance with his wife. She shrugged subtly, leaning forward to rest a hand on her son's lap. "Do not wish to be something you are not."

His hands shook. "What if...what if someone knew?" He felt sick.

"Hush," his father said quickly, keeping his voice low, deep and gravelly in a whisper. "No one knows. Don't speak of such things."

"But what if?" Zuko begged.

"Let that day come when it comes," his father answered. "But you are our son, and you have never looked twice at an element, water or not. Is that understood?"

Zuko's throat ached, so he nodded instead, looking down.

"We shall speak no more of this," his father said, releasing Zuko and folding his hands in his lap. The cold settled in Zuko and he hugged himself, ashamed. The words wouldn't come anymore. _You win, Pakku, _he thought.

_You win._

* * *

_Seven Years Ago _

The wind wailed in the night, and the alcove they had found was feeling the icy chill. Zuko remained huddled in a ball beneath fur blankets, his father tending the fire between attempts at stacking blocks of ice higher to the roof.

"Blasted storm," he muttered, black hair catching in the occasional loose gale. The young boy shivered, staring at his father. The dogs were whimpering and pacing, the quietest of them curled next to the councilman's son.

Kanook turned back to the boy and allowed a smile. "Not quite what you expected, I'd imagine," he said. Zuko shook his small black head, hands gripping his ankles.

"Hunting trips are often not about the actual hunt," Kanook sighed, nudging the hot, struggling coals. "Battling weather, battling luck, battling impatience."

"And hunger," Zuko added in a little voice.

"Ahh, you see, but we came prepared," his father grinned, and threw him a small knapsack. "Snacks, for the growing child." Zuko dug in eagerly.

Something howled in the distance. The tall man instantly froze, narrowed eyes looking up. Zuko felt needles in his gut, fearfully staring at the thin doorway.

His father made a motion to grab his spear. "Get down," he ordered, and Zuko obeyed without question. The howls were sounding closer. The dogs were beginning to bark now, pacing with hackles on end. The boy hid beneath the blankets as his father stamped out the small flames, and the alcove was plunged into darkness. The dogs fell silent, and all Zuko could see were outlines in the moonlight.

There were growls in the night, and Zuko felt his father bend low over him, a knee pressing between his shoulder blades. "Shhh," he soothed. "They're just wolves. If they find us, worse comes to worse, they just want the shelter."

Zuko only nodded and kept quiet. He thought of his mother, safe at home, and wanted to run to her and tell her that they would be safe, like his father had done before they left. He wanted to tell her that everything's fine, but Zuko didn't feel brave. They only had the dogs for help. Noktul and Peti were miles off, on their own excursion. The seconds passed by at an agonizing rate, Zuko hearing the padding of paws in the night.

Beady yellow eyes shone in the darkness. Zuko paled and clutched the hem of the blanket, pulling it down to just above his eyes. His father tensed. The lead wolf growled, deep in his throat like rumbling waves, and then the wolves fell through the crack, snapping and snarling and large with long claws and white fangs. The boy watched in terror as his father sprang into action, the dogs rising to his side. The dogs weren't cowards, and neither was his father, yelling and fighting tooth and nail to defend his son.

The wolves growled and lunged, bigger than their hunting dogs and stronger, too. The leader of the pack easily stood on the shoulders of his kill and bit down on his neck. Zuko shook, tears welling in his eyes.

A wolf went for Zuko, but with a cry his large father bore down on him, the spear shattering over the wolf's head with a thundering _crack. _But the wolves retaliated, having finished with the dogs they rose to the fight and took on Zuko's father. The weight took him by surprise. He went down. One clawed his face, and Kanook cried out as long, deep gashes were drawn down behind his ear and to his neck. The man cried and thrashed, grasping for the spear that had fallen from his hand. Another wolf took his arm in his mouth, teeth white and flashing. The blood stained the snow.

"Dad!" Zuko wailed, but the man fell back, head smacked against the ground, rolling unconscious. The wolves growled, turning to the young boy.

"No, no..." he begged, stepping out of the blanket to the far end, pleading for his father. "Dad? Get up, please get up!"

The lead wolf snarled and made a move towards Zuko.

"NO!" Zuko screamed, charging forward, heart exploding in a fury he didn't know how to control. As he rose, a heat took him, and with an itch that burned he convulsed, palms leveling and fingers flying, and a wave of flame shot and crested outwards. The wolves panicked and burned, running from the fire, howling and gnashing with a vengeance.

Zuko flew back and skidded to a stop, watching as the wolves struggled through the crack, whimpering like sick pups. Then, quick as they came, they were gone, and the light vanished. The night was suddenly darker than it had ever been, but the heat lingered in the air.

The boy's knees buckled, and Zuko collapsed in a sweating, shaking, crying mess. He felt large arms lifting him and he crawled into his father's lap, weeping, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, I didn't want them to get you, I couldn't help it..."

Blood ran down his father's collar and across his face, and he was weak, fighting to hold his son, his precious child. _A firebender. _

"Zuko, you need to stay awake, you need to focus, I need you to listen to me," he urged between his teeth, and the shaking boy did, wide gold eyes teary. Kanook glanced towards the snow-covered coals in sadness, eyes lighting with a mustered courage. His father grabbed Zuko's hands and pulled them to his neck, over the bloody wound.

"I need you make fire," he wheezed, panting through the pain. "You're going to burn my wound shut. And no matter how much I scream or cry I need you to keep going until every part has melted. It's going to be scary, but I need more of that bravery in you. Right now, please. You need to do this, and then it'll be over. It'll be all over."

The night ended with Zuko curled against his unconscious father with bloody hands, trembling and frightened. The wolves never came back. And in the morning, his father bandaged himself wordlessly, stuffing what they could carry into bags, leaving the dogs for dead.

"Dad, I'm a firebender," Zuko said, but his father clasped his hands around his face and held him close.

"You don't tell anyone," he growled fiercely. "You tell no one at all. You don't hint, you don't show, you don't glance twice at fire. You will not firebend ever again. I burnt myself to close the wound, using coal. You hid while the wolves attacked."

"Father..." Zuko whimpered.

"No, you listen to what I have to say!" he snapped. "This is for your own safety, because if they discover you're a firebender, they'll take you away from me, and it'll destroy me, and your mother. Do you understand? Are you hearing me? Do you _understand?!" _

Zuko nodded. "Yes, father..."

"This is the end of it," Kanook dismissed, straightening, and turning towards the open tundra. Zuko could make out the shadows of men on the horizon, dogs barking and howling. _Noktul and Peti. _

His father found his hand and squeezed tight. "You are my son, nothing more."

Zuko shut his eyes and let his father lead him forward. He never felt more ashamed.


	4. The Fatal Fall

**The Fatal Fall**

* * *

His father lifted his collar a little higher once he helped his wife from the gondola. Zuko stood before the stadium's outer ring, a wall that was higher than he imagined: the wall to the bending arena. He marveled at the ice sculptures of the bending greats of the ages, and he knew he could name every one of them. He froze when he caught sight of Pakku's statue, pulling away from the hard, judging gaze only when his mother took his hand and pulled him along.

Councilmen and their families swarmed from the boats while the regular citizens strode in from the streets and the open marketplace. The smells of ocean spices and perfume filled the air, the plaza a bustle of activity. The electric excitement was palpable to the eleven-year-old, charging the air. With a glance back, he could easily pick out Noktul and Asiaka amongst the gathering. His father waved to them, then continued toward the gates.

"They'll catch up soon enough," he explained with a glance to his wife.

Zuko admired the craftmanships as he was led into the broad, expansive arena, the seats filling with hundreds of spectators while various fields and platforms of snow and ice littered the bending zone. A small, thin wall separated the elevated crowd from the benders.

The boys were warming up, practicing moves that looked difficult, twisting and maneuvering around jets and spikes and great waves of water that flew faster than Zuko thought possible. The benders themselves were varied in shape and size, the tallest of which was a handsome youth with a strong, determined look. He commanded the stage with a charismatic presence and a crooked grin, hard, cold blue eyes cunning and daring while his hair waved and snapped in its wolf's tail. Zuko thought he'd be the kind of bender the girls would cheer for. With one wave of his hands, the ground upended and surged, twisting back down in a spiral movement before evaporating. The settling crowd cheered, and he smiled and waved. Zuko already had bets on him.

He sat next to his father on the highest section of seats, reserved for the hierarchy of the bending families. Asiaka and Noktul sat on his father's left, while Kanook's family perched to his right, Zuko's mother watching with entranced fascination.

Zuko followed her gaze and scanned the crowd, and noticed the row of older looking men sitting by the bottom of the stadium, on standby. They were flanked by guards who patrolled the perimeter, and walked with elegance unmatched by the members of the burgeoning crowd.

"Waterbending masters," Zuko realized, and pointed them out to his mother. "Mom, look, there they are!"

She smiled when she followed her son's gaze. "Yes, the modern protectors of the city," she agreed. "They're in charge of running the test smoothly. Right now, they're making sure nothing gets in the way of the students."

"Like what?" Zuko frowned.

She thought for a moment then shrugged. "...uneven ground?"

It made sense to Zuko, so he fell quiet and watched. Spears of solid ice were thrown, whistling through the air and impacting the ground with a bone-breaking _whack. _The snow shimmered and fluttered as the ground beneath it stirred, shivering and trembling like an earthquake.

"Look!" Noktul called, a broad smile widening his face. He stood and waved. "Peti! Peti! SON! WE'RE OVER HERE! HEY! PETI! HEY!"

"He's not deaf," Kanook winced, rubbing his ear in lieu of his older brother's screaming. Palena laughed. Asiaka only rolled her eyes, but gave a small smile as her son strode out from the gateway and onto the field, dressed and determined. He moved somewhat stiffly, step jilted as he strutted into the eyes of the crowd, almost…nervous.

Zuko squinted to see his expression, his serious and somber cousin driven as he nodded to his comrades. The crowd seemed to notice as he began to warm up, swift and fluid as he flipped in the air, his masterful octopus form rising from the ground to surround him. The students seemed to stop and stare as the arms wove, threatening and great in the cold air, and the crowd swelled in a soft applause.

Zuko's heart squeezed. He sometimes forgot what a powerful bender Peti was, and how hard he had worked to become so. The hopes of his parents were all riding on his ability to one day serve the Chief as part of the royal elite of waterbenders, a prestigious title reserved for only the best. He would protect and serve his country as a symbol of hope and strength in a time of war, and he would be unstoppable against the Fire Nation armies that would one day come to their door. Every young boy wanted to be him, and it was a long, lonely road that Peti had chosen to walk.

But Zuko had to agree that Peti had it in the bag.

He felt someone tug his sleeve and looked up to his mother, who nodded to a sight behind them. "Zuko, look," she smiled. The boy looked up, jaw dropping.

"The Chief," he murmured, and she nodded. The Chief was a stoic, grand, long-faced man, taking his seat in his special, reserved box at the top of the stadium, royal robes gleaming in the sunlight, furs and colors rich and deep.

"He's bound to notice your cousin now," she encouraged, expression flashing in a flurry of excitement. Zuko shifted his weight and forced a grin.

A horn sounded and the crowd went silent, the benders hurrying to cease their activities and run into a straight line facing the crowd. The drums began beating, and the anticipation rose, the audience shifting as the official bending masters and teachers strode out onto their stage, taking their seats at the judges panel that extended from the bottom ring. Pakku stepped into the light from the gate to beneath the stadium, bald-head gleaming, and the crowd hushed, all knowledgeable bending families basking in awe. Zuko's stomach pitted and his throat burned, hiding his blushing cheeks in his hands.

His mother noticed and placed an arm around her son, attempting to be comforting. "I know you're nervous for him, but he'll be fine," she encouraged, and Zuko's heart sank, unable to look away from the waterbending master. His eyes stung, still haunted. He wanted Peti to sink him back down into a chamber of ice, hidden from the world, somewhere safe where no one would know. He wanted so many things, but the gods seemed cruel. He cuddled into her side.

_How could he even know? _the youth thought dismally. _We were hidden away! _

The drumming ended and the crowd sat silent, caught in anticipation. A young master stood forward, grinning, dark hair braided away from his face. His hands shot in the air as he announced in a booming voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year's bending trials and this year's fresh group of recruits!"

The crowd applauded, and the young master smiled. "We have an impressive staple of students this year, all eager for a chance to prove their worth and ascend to the highest level of their training! But only three can receive this honor, and only three can learn from the best of the best, Master Pakku!"

Reminded, the crowd's applause became more nervous than exhilarated.

"With that in mind, we at the Northern Waterbending School would like to extend our most sincere wishes of luck! Everyone auditioning today has earned their right to it!"

He spread his arms and beamed. "Let the trials begin!"

The crowd erupted in applause and the master bowed, taking his seat with the others while the waterbending students marched off to the sidelines to wait patiently while the first took his place at the center of the arena, waiting to be given the signal.

The heralds announced from the sidelines: "Arno, of the Mursok family!"

There was faint, respectful applause and Arno bowed to the masters. A hush overcame the crowd as the drums and gong sounded. The first of the hopeful began. Zuko watched and waited as his routine progressed, eager to observe new moves despite the lump in his throat and the pit in his stomach.

Arno's routine was rushed and sloppy, droplets raining from his every move. Zuko almost felt sorry for the front row for being in the splash zone as Arno coiled and turned, fighting his imaginary enemies. The water streamed and rivered and surged, but his technique failed under his clear anxiety. His moves weren't juvenile, Zuko admitted, and were rather advanced for a boy of his young age, just a few years older than the firebender. However, no amount of talent would save his hurriedly executed mistakes and attempts.

With a final flourish, his routine ended and the waves breaking around him collapsed and froze, once more becoming part of the ground. The audience clapped, encouraging after the performance, and the masters joined in, all except for Pakku, who with his back to the crowds sat unmoving and, likely, unimpressed.

Many of the boys followed in the same vein, some better than others, all showcasing their clear talents to an eager and absorbed audience. Koluk, the pretty one, was one of the middle highlights, pulling off some of the hardest techniques Zuko had seen, and the boy watched wide eyed as the cocky and arrogant waterbender grunted and kipped aboard the shifting and springing towers of ice he conjured, hopping from mound to mound before leaping into a snaking spout, which flattened into a slide that sent him barreling towards the ground. He landed, knees giving beneath him into a tucked roll, which he rose from in a graceful, smiling finish. The audience applauded hard for him, and the swaggering youth grinned, bowing and waving like the celebrity he knew he was. Some of the guards had to show him from the stadium, as the gods knew he would keep the audience cheering for him for hours if he wanted. "Cheeky bastard," Kanook growled, and Palena smiled, Zuko steeping in a quiet moment of envy. If only they knew what he would give to be down there with those boys, displaying his talent for water and his courage in the face of much of the Northern Water Tribe.

Why did the gods hate him?

His father noticed his sour expression and leaned over to ruffle his hair, mussing up the carefully combed tresses. "Dad," he groaned, but almost forgot his troubles as his parents and uncle laughed, stern aunt hard-faced as ever.

The audience quieted as the final waterbender walked into the light, clasping his hands before him and bowing respectfully. At last, it was Peti's turn.

The noble teenager righted himself and set his opening stance, waiting for the drums to sound. "Announcing Peti of the Keeran family!" the herald called. The audience quieted in the deep breath before his plunge, and Noktul sat leaning forward, gloved fingers crossed, jaw grit in anticipation. Kanook and Palena sat hand in hand, and Zuko squirmed beside his parents, praying for his beloved cousin. "You can do it," he whispered. "You were meant for this." Someone from the back shushed him, and he blushed.

The gong sounded with the drums and Peti was off, sliding sideways and pulling forth a great burst of water from the ground, almost dancing as he spiraled and circled, his impressive whip snapping in the air, daring any opponent to challenge him. Confident and swift, the boy danced, striking invisible enemies as the ground beneath him rose, providing a platform as he stepped carefully, attacking with a ferocity unparalleled in his peers. Zuko could almost feel the energy channeling inside him, and fountains of water cracked from the ground of the arena, nearly full of a huge volley of water that went flying to the air, dividing into hardening spears of ice that flew towards the ground, joining Peti's water whip in a perfect circle, melting to reveal a ginormous octopus form before the entire platform dissipated beneath the teen's feet, giving way into a pulsing cloud of steam that spread in a hot wave throughout the arena.

The crowd leaned forward, squinting. A dark figure appeared in the mist, walking calmly forward. The steam evaporated with a simple wave of Peti's hand, and the storm of power ended. Peti bowed. His audition was over.

There was a deep, stunned moment. Jaws were dropped. The silence was agonizing, and Zuko looked around in confusion. Peti squirmed, uncomfortable for the lack of reaction. The audience could barely register what they had seen. Zuko could hardly register. Peti had always been gifted, and Zuko looked up to him during their every practice as his master, but he had never seen his solo work before. His teacher was suddenly so much more.

Noktul rose to his feet and began furiously clapping. "That's my son!" he laughed, and the crowd took up his applause. "That's my son!" The rest of Zuko's family stood, and soon all the nobles were swept into the ovation of support for one of their own, Zuko rising to his feet as Peti walked off to joins his comrades in a line before the judges panel.

"Congratulations," Kanook encouraged of his brother, and Palena gave him a reproachful look.

"He hasn't gotten it yet," she pointed out, but the men were unhearing as they voiced their support. She looked down at Zuko and gave a twisted smile.

"Men," she sighed. "Always overconfident." Zuko didn't quite understand, but nodded anyway.

The drums began beating and the horn sounded once more. The audience sat as the masters rose from their seats. Pakku stepped forward to address the audience, requiring no solemn moment of deliberation. It was time to announce his decisions.

"Esteemed and honored guests," he began, and Zuko stiffened. _Firebender_ still rang all too clearly in his ears. "It has been a pleasure to view all of the hopeful candidates of this year. I thank everyone for coming and pretending like some of their children can waterbend."

Some parents bristled at the comment, and the arrogant master grinned. "I can choose from all those whose bending I have witnessed today," he reminded. "And the three that I choose will have the opportunity to duel me for their spot in my elite training program. This is a rare opportunity and I do not bestow it on those unworthy to learn the higher practices of waterbending."

The stakes set, Pakku rolled his shoulders back, the audience quiet and anxious. "Now, my choices for the apprenticeship." He turned and pointed towards the line of benders.

"Koluk of the Hagran family." Cheering came from the audience as Koluk fist pumped the air.

"Obvious choice," Kanook commented with a smile, and Zuko agreed.

Pakku turned to Koluk's left, still pointing. "Peti, of the Keeran family."

Noktul burst out in a shrill cry of approval. "Yeah! YEAH! PETI! THAT'S MY SON! WOOH! THAT'S MY SON!"

"We know!" half of the annoyed nobles chorused, and Kanook clapped his bashful brother's shoulder, sitting him down at his side.

The applause quieted as Pakku's hand fell and he turned to the audience. Zuko fidgeted in anticipation. The third choice had yet to be revealed.

The waterbending master was motionless, still as he ice as he looked to the top barracks of the stands, blue eyes sailing to the section of nobles to meet Zuko's wide, fearful gaze. Zuko paled, lips parting. He suddenly felt cold.

Slowly, Pakku lifted his pointed finger towards the black haired youth, the entire audience turning as he declared, "And the firebender who sits amongst the council elders in secret."


	5. Duel and Revelation

**Duel and Revelation**

* * *

The cold wind shifted throughout the silent, stunned stadium, breathing through Zuko's parka. His fists clenched around the seat beneath him, his parents unable to move at his side. He could barely inhale: the weight on his lungs starved them. _No. _

Pakku's finger remained ever betraying, ever focused on singling out him. Audience members turned, all struggling to figure out whom he was pointing to. Eyes were finding Zuko, and the black haired boy could barely contain the blush that went brimming to his cheeks.

Then the quiet was suddenly broken. "What firebender? I don't see a firebender," Kanook quipped, looking around, shrugging to the other nobles, who in turn also turned about. Zuko's heart lifted. _They don't know it's me, _he realized with a start. He managed to pull his fingers from the ice and tucked them beneath his armpits, his palms feeling warm. As long as he drew no attention to himself, they wouldn't know.

_They can't know. They can't know! _

"Well, that's strange, considering it's the boy sitting by you," Pakku sneered, lowering his finger, and a gasp swept throughout the audience, a thousand stares suddenly finding their way to Zuko. He shrunk under the penetration, feeling violated, tears welling his eyes. He wanted them to stop. His throat was too full to speak. Everything burned.

Palena immediately took offense, rising to her feet. "How dare you!" she snapped. "My son is a nonbender! How dare you lie before your tribe! Before your Chief!"

The attention turned away from Zuko momentarily as all gazes fixed on Pakku. The master bender grit his teeth, balling his fists as he growled, "I know my place, woman, unlike you do yours! Waterbending masters do not lie!"

"Then that makes you no master!" she cried back, filled with a sudden rage, and the crowd gasped.

Pakku twitched, and Zuko stared at his mother in awe. Kanook rose to his wife's side, supporting her as he took a protective stance to his family. "You can't prove he's a bender! You can't prove that you saw him bending today, if he even could!"

Pakku suddenly relaxed, steepling his fingers as he scolded, "And that's where you're wrong. I can prove he's a bender, and I will prove that he was bending in my courtyards of my school this morning!"

The audience began speaking amongst themselves, unsure of whose side to take, a hushed whisper echoing throughout the arena. Zuko held onto his mother's parka, clutching her and never willing to let go as Pakku made his way down a series of waterbent steps, approaching the suddenly anxious students.

He stamped his foot and an abrupt lurch in the ground sent Peti stumbling forward. Zuko fought back a squeak and pressed into his mother's side. Her hands found his shoulders and reassured him.

Noktul rose to his feet, hand reaching through the air for his son. Even Asiaka seemed shaken, hand covering her mouth.

Peti struggled to his feet, recovering from his shock as Pakku announced, "This boy was dueling him in practice this morning. This boy is the teacher, the person who has allowed his bending to grow stronger, more powerful." The crowd was less still, voices rising in fear, wide eyes frightened as they stared back at Zuko. "He is witness to the true nature of that child, and if he lies and denies it, I'll revoke my challenge for a duel with him."

Peti stared up at Zuko, hardened expression no longer so hard. Kanook shot a look at his son, no longer so sure of their hope. The look on his father's face, the one wrinkled in fear, the one of pain, made Zuko want to melt and never return. _You have never looked twice at an element, fire or otherwise. If they find out, they'll take you away from me, and it'll destroy me. Do you understand? _

Zuko's palms itched all the more.

Peti stared at his family, looking between his master and his parents, unsure. The tension settled, and Pakku grew impatient. The ground slipped beneath Peti's feet and the teen went sprawling to the ground.

"Confess, boy," Pakku snarled. "Waterbenders do not lie."

Noktul could hardly keep his composure, moving to push past his brother when Kanook stopped him. "No, it's not worth it, brother."

Peti grunted, and Pakku leaned in. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear that, boy. You'll have to speak louder if you want the tribe to hear you."

"I didn't!" Peti snapped, pushing himself to his feet. "I didn't teach him anything! Give up your baseless claim! I don't care if I lose my chance to be your apprentice, I won't lie! Who wants to work for a man who slanders an innocent child?! He's my cousin! My only cousin! How dare you accuse him!"

Pakku stood motionlessly, hands held at his sides while Peti panted. Zuko couldn't believe his ears. Peti had just lied. Peti had just given up everything. His eyes watered, trembling. "No, no, no," he whispered.

Pakku clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "You have challenged my honor, the honor of a bending great, and you have insulted me before our tribe. You have accused an honest man of lying, and it is your choice to suffer the consequences."

Peti's shoulders heaved, nose wrinkling. "That is my choice," he affirmed angrily.

Pakku sighed. "Your choice," he agreed, and suddenly lifted his hand to send a surging, gigantic wave hurtling between them, slamming Peti back and to the ground with a mighty _thwap. _The teen struggled, moaning with a hand on his ribs as Noktul cried out.

"No, no, my son! No!" he pleaded, shoving Kanook's hands from him as he sprinted to the steps and raced down them, Kanook chasing him, calling his name over and over, begging him to stop.

Zuko watched frozen in horror as Peti was assaulted with attack after attack of water, ambushed at every corner. His classmates scattered away, standing aside while their friend was beaten down, a cracking whip of water descending upon him as its bender did, and with enough force to knock him unconscious it struck his head and sent him careening to the ground, going limp as Pakku stood triumphantly over him.

Noktul was at the ground of the arena, hopping over the ledge and landing lightly, springing up to charge Pakku. "Don't touch my son!" he bellowed, only to be met with a hard wall of ice that stopped him dead in his track, smashing against his body with enough force to shatter it, and the man stumbled back and collapsed.

"How dare you attack me!" Pakku spat, insulted, walking towards his next victim with a steady and menacing pace. "How dare you, a nonbender, attack me!"

Noktul groaned, Kanook restrained by the guards as the audience cried out, mothers turning away, hiding their children's eyes. Pakku raised a stream of water above his head, coiling up for one last, finishing strike, beady eyes flashing. "You'll regret it," he promised, and inhaled for his final move. He wasn't going to stop. He was going to end it, right there and right then.

"_STOP!" _

Birds started and took to the sky in swarms as the voice rang throughout the stadium, echoing in the air and reverberating like a blast of thunder. Zuko flew down the stairs, his mother tailing him as he jumped the protective fence and landed in the arena, near breathless as he rushed to his uncle's side, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Stop! You don't have to attack them! Please!" he begged, shaking under the waterbender's dark, mighty shadow. "They didn't do anything wrong! Peti was just protecting me! Uncle was just protecting him! Please, let them go! It's me you want, isn't it? I'm here!"

"Zuko, no!" Palena cried from the stands, struggling with the guards that detained her husband, the audience transfixed on the scene before them.

Zuko held back tears, knowing that what he was doing was the only way. His stomach twisted in a deep heat and his palms ached, turned towards Pakku. "Please, just let them go… They didn't do anything wrong."

Pakku relaxed, letting the water sink back to the ground. "So, you finally have the nerve; the little boy finally grew a spine. You confess that you're a firebender?"

Sweat ran down Zuko's temple to his neck, his heart hammering against his ribcage. His hands dropped useless to his sides as he looked to the ground, working up his courage, squeezing his eyes shut. _I'm sorry dad,_ he thought. _Please, please forgive me. He would've hurt you. _

"Yes," Zuko replied, and then it was done. He could never go back.

Pakku grinned at the quivering boy. "And of course you can prove you are a firebender?"

Zuko grit his teeth, fighting tears as he hesitantly brought his hands to a cusp before him, willing the fire from his skin, easing it from his body. A flame suddenly burst to life in the air, dancing and flirting like a playful child, glowing in the sunlight. A relief came to the building pressure inside Zuko and the boy exhaled, the itching in his palms subsiding to the reassuring caress of heat.

The audience instantly reacted. "Monster!" "Firebender!" "Demon child!" The cries suddenly began carrying through the air as everyone panicked, and there was a suddenly flurry of activity as everyone scrambled to get as far away as possible, guards summoned as the fear took hold and corrupted the crowd, a stampede for the exit nearly underway.

"Kill him!" one nobleman screamed. "Kill the abomination!"

"He's my son!" Palena tried, and Kanook joined in with her. "Please, have mercy, he's our only son! He's Water Tribe! He's our son!"

Peti groaned only a few steps away, pushing himself to his elbows, hair hanging down by his jaw as he looked up and registered Zuko, blinking into realization. "What?" he gasped, pushing himself to his feet. "What?! Zuko! No! Zuko!"

Zuko met his eyes sadly, and the hope and passion left Peti's eyes, the teen slumping and crumbling to the ground, exhausted, unable to look at him. Zuko winced and blushed in shame, letting the flame evaporate as his hands went back to his sides. He could hear the sound of scrambling behind him, and looked up to see Noktul rush to his son's side, burying the teen in his arms. He stared at Zuko in horror and betrayal, a look that accused, _Monster_.

Zuko looked away, a tear rivering down his pink cheek. The other waterbending masters rushed up to his side, flanking Pakku, trying to coax the bending master away from Zuko as if he contained the plague. "Please, Pakku!" one begged. "He's dangerous. We'll arrest him together. You don't have to face him alone."

"He's a child," the announcer master quipped, narrowing his eyes as he stood on the outer rim of his comrades. "His only teacher was a waterbending student! How afraid can you cowards be of a little boy?!"

"Know your place, Kanko," another snapped back, and the braided master huffed, glaring.

Pakku slapped their hands away, insisting, "I know my own strength. I do not need you quibbling fools to define it for me. What we don't know are the strengths of this child, the child whose bending I had witnessed to day, and I challenge him to duel me for a place at my side as apprentice."

Zuko's eyes widened, looking up to shake his head at Pakku. "But…but…"

"The challenge is a challenge, and our law states that he cannot back down from it," Pakku persisted, and the crowd simpered, too transfixed to continue their great panic. The noise quieted as Pakku pushed back from the waterbending elders, shirking his outer parka and spreading his hands as if to beckon the world.

"Prove your worth, firebender, as a member of this tribe, and you can go in peace," Pakku challenged. Zuko grit his jaw. "Prove your worth, and you shall earn your place as a respected pillar of waterbending history! You and your cousin!"

Peti looked up from his father's arms, Palena crying, "No, no, no, n-no!" from the stands.

Pakku gave a crooked grin. "So, firebender, what do you say?" he invited.

Zuko inhaled, suddenly defiant, suddenly determined. Pakku had gone too far. He had to end this. Only he could end this.

"My name," he answered, "is Zuko of the Northern Water Tribe. And I accept your challenge!"

The audience stirred in hushed whispers, still crammed toward the back of the seats as the stared in shock and horror. Pakku smiled and Zuko glared back, taking a stand the appropriate distance, remembering his etiquette with Peti this morning.

Noktul tried to haul his son out of the way, but Peti pushed himself out of his arms and stepped toward his cousin. "Zuko!"

The black haired boy met his gaze and held it, shaking his head. A charge passed between them and Peti stopped in his tracks, eyes shining. He didn't fight as his father pulled him to a safe distance. "Peti, come away from him," he urged, and Peti looked down, dragged back.

Zuko's heart squeezed and he sent an assuring, albeit scared, expression to his parents, who continued to fight and protest at the bottom of the stands. Now that Zuko was left alone, isolated in his space, the waterbending master suddenly seemed that much more daunting, tall and grand and confident compared to the eleven year old who timidly stood before him.

Pakku leaned down and set his stance, white hair waving in the wind. "The first move is yours," he allowed, and Zuko gulped, fidgeting uncomfortably in the frigid air. He pulled the scarf from his neck and let it ignite in his hands, crumbling to ashes before whispering away on the wind. He tossed his ruined gloves to the side and bit his teeth against the glacial gusts gathering snow across the arena. He spread his feet and focused on breathing. The breathing always helped.

Slowly, a flame opened in the hot air above his hands, and he cradled the fire to his chest, nurturing it, willing it to be stronger.

Pakku leered in the distance. "That's it?" he mocked. "Is that all you know, firebender?"

Zuko wrinkled his nose. _Concentrate. _He widened the birth of the flame and let it condense into hot, glowing, red and orange energy that morphed and circled around him, flowing from his hands like water from a spring. He inhaled and suddenly closed his fists, pulling them in and then releasing them with a great, "Huurgh!" A fireball erupted from his fists and went flying towards Pakku. A wall of water shot up as a barrier as the fire burst into a plume of smoke.

Zuko grinned, clutching his fists to himself.

Suddenly, a response volley of spikes shot from the smoke and cut through the air, heading straight towards him. Instinctively, Zuko lowered himself and spread his hands white, a huge wave of heat and fire rippling from him. Some spikes instantly went up in steam, others Zuko dodged at the last minute, flipping midair as they soared beneath him. He stole a moment to catch his breath, blinking. _That was close. _

Something whistled in the air and Zuko immediately fell to the ground, missing the jet of water by inches. _Too close!_ Wide-eyed, he pushed himself to a stand and sent a response burst of fire the waterbending master's direction, but his heart skipped a beat. Pakku had vanished.

A harsh _crack_ sounded and a searing pain erupted in Zuko's ribcage as he went skidding to the ground. He grimaced in pain, blinking through shocked tears as he looked up to see Pakku striding towards him, toying with his element like a ribbon.

"Come on, little boy, it's going to take more than a few fireballs to make me _yield!"_ he cried, and sent a hardening crest of water and ice his way.

Zuko yelped and jumped to narrowly avoid being hit again, the stitch in his side worsening. He clutched it and wheezed through the pain, kicking up a new storm at his feet and thrusting it towards the master. The heat seared and his parka peeled away at the sleeves, fur singed and smoking. The hem caught fire and Zuko panicked, shucking it and shivering in his tunic. Without the added weight, however, he was free, able to move with more agility as he stepped between blasts of water and answered with his own attacks. He bent the flame back into molten energy, side-stepping and steering himself once more around Pakku as he let his powers go in a fiery launch. Each wave by each opponent met each other in a thundering boom, the wetness of the ground becoming harder to walk upon, the warm water soaking into Zuko's clothes as he rolled to avoid being frozen.

"You can give up any time you like," Pakku offered, filled with just as much life as he had begun the duel with, movement unaffected. "I won't judge."

Zuko growled and shot another blast his direction. Pakku barely pulled out of the way, caught off guard. He looked back at the boy and grinned. "Now that's more like it!" he cackled, and kipped atop the massive wavehead he pulled from the ground, sliding sideways as it became a rim of ice. Zuko fired at him repeatedly, just missing the waterbending master each time until Pakku jumped off and landed behind him. Zuko turned to fight only to be met with another cracking strike to his chest, this time knocking the wind from him as he staggered backwards.

Zuko was panicking, struggling to breathe, gasping for air, clutching his chest. The air sparked around him, loose hair waving in the mirage of heat. The fire beneath his fingers popped and shrank, evaporating. He couldn't move his lungs. He couldn't breath past the incredible zinching pain that sent him shaking to the ground, each push upwards futile.

Pakku struck again, it was all Zuko could do to lift his arm and break the whip with against his skin. Unbroken but blindingly painful, Zuko held his arm to his chest and gulped for precious, cold air. He blinked, refusing to give up, even with Pakku nearly atop him.

Suddenly, a shadow overcame him and he looked up, finding Peti standing between the waterbending master and he. His cousin balled his fists and exclaimed boldly, "Stop! This isn't a fair fight!"

"Out of my way!" Pakku roared. He pushed his hands upwards and sent Peti plunging through the air from a pad of ice. The teen landed heavily on the ground, knees buckling beneath him. Zuko looked between his cousin and the master in horror, unbelieving. "That is the last time you interfere, boy!"

Something twisted deep in Zuko's gut and his fingers suddenly shot onward and outward, a tremendous heat leaping from his skin as all his energy focused into one focal point, one mere apex at the tip of his fingers. The day filled with a bright flash as white-hot lightning sprung from him and went fissuring towards Pakku.

Pakku met the lightning reflexively with a wall of water and an explosion of heat and smoke blew from the contact. The waterbending master was lost in the smoke and Zuko stumbled backwards, falling to the ground in exhaustion. Lids heavy, he gripped his throbbing side and blinked through the haze. His breaths were shallow.

_I did it, _he thought. _It happened again. _He bowed his head and let loose a tired sob, clenching his teeth to hold back anymore. The crowds were solemn and silent, and for the first time that day, the arena seemed almost…peaceful…

Snow crunched underfoot, and Zuko looked up to see Pakku, clothes somewhat blackened with ash and soot, moving slowly from the clearing cloud of smoke. Their gazes met and leveled, the master bender cautiously bringing his hands before him. Zuko stiffened but looked away, resigning to his fate. He didn't have enough fight in him left. He couldn't push himself up again, no matter how it frustrated him. _You win, Pakku, _he resigned.

"You passed the test," a gravelly voice said. "It would be my honor if you would consent to be my apprentice, Pupil Zuko of the Northern Water Tribe."

Zuko looked up to witness Pakku bowing gravely to him.


End file.
